MEETING FATE
by maybelady
Summary: Who was she to defeat him? And who was she to deny her own place? She was a child, and an infuriating one at that. Even way back then. FEMshanksxMihawk


_once part of my drabble collection but i decided to publish my oneshots as single stories. Nonetheless, all these oneshots and drabbles of FEMshanksxMiahwk belong to the same story line, so they all match together._

_check them out if you like, you can find them all on my profile ;)_

_thank's for reading :)_

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><p>MEETING FATE<p>

Mihawk was bored again. There had been two challengers so far and both had been disappointing. He should have turned them down but since he knew there was still much to learn for him, he hadn't.

Silently he begged for some kind of entertainment as he ordered the fourth glass of wine.

When he had switched to ordering bottles his wish finally came true. Someone tapped him on the shoulder.

'You are Dracule Mihawk. I challenge you to a duel.' He turned around, having heard those words countless times before. Although usually they didn't come with such a high pitched voice.

He hadn't faced a girl in quite some months. And neither an under aged one. She couldn't be older than 16.

He studied her face for a moment. She was serious about it. Mihawk however couldn't help but be amused. Was that a new way of hitting on him? Well he didn't mind in that case.

'I accept your challenge. When do you wanna do this... I didn't catch your name.'

'It's Shanks.' The girl had gotten a lot less serious by now and Mihawk started to wonder if this had been a good idea. He didn't wanna hurt her. But she had already turned to leave.

'We'll fight tomorrow 10 am at the harbor entrance. You think you'll find that?'

Mihawk frowned. Was she mocking him? The nerve that girl had. He gathered his composure. 'You wanna do this right now then?'

She turned around once more and laughed.

'You can't hold your liquor... I want this to be a worthy match.' With that she was off, returning to her companions, pirates from the looks of it. She jumped on the back of a tall blond man, who both laughed and scolded her at that and shoved her straw hat deeper into her face.

Mihawk froze when he recognized the man's face. The Dark King Rayleigh. This might in fact turn out to be an interesting match.

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><p>He approached the docks early only to see Shanks already waiting there. She hadn't noticed him yet since she was facing the sea. A small smile graced her lips and with the white skirt and blue blouse she looked very childlike to him. He considered turning down the duel but he shot the thought down quickly after it had formed. There was no backing out from a challenge.<p>

Shanks turned to greet him when he got closer. With the eager glare and wide grin she looked slightly more mature now and Mihawk was back in high spirits, any lingering hesitation gone.

'You know, we should make this more fun.' Shanks grin had gotten slightly more mischievous. 'How about a bet? If I win you'll drink with me tonight.'

Mihawk was taken aback. First of all she was turning this into a game and swordsmanship was anything but. And secondly...was she suggesting a date? Well, Mihawk decided two can play this game.

'Deal. And when I win, I get to take you out for dinner.'

She looked at him, puzzled and about to say something, but instead just shrugged her shoulders. 'So... we wanna do this ... here?'

'Is this your first duel?' If it wasn't for the bet and the prospect of getting to spend more time with her this night, he would have just turned and left.

'Nah-ah, just the first on an inhabited island. I just don't know how strong you really are. They say you are the best in this Blue, but that isn't saying much... So mountains rather?' She turned and glanced over her shoulder making sure he followed after her. Mihawk did, too insulted and too curious at the same time to come up with something coherent to say.

They reached a plateau soon that they saw fit to serve as their battle ground.

'How about three rounds? I want this to last longer than a few minutes.'

Mihawk was gritting his teeth at this remark. He would have to teach that brat some manners. 'Three rounds will be over in a few minutes too.'

'Don't put yourself that low, old man.' The grin she had on her face just wound him up more. This creature was infuriating. But they all talked highly before coming crushing down.

'At the count of three.' Mihawk steadied himself then. Now he would put that girl in her place.

'One, Two, Three!'

Mihawk charged, eager to prove himself. But the round was already over when he felt cold metal resting on his neck. He froze, Shanks standing to his left. How had she gotten there? The last thing he could recollect was a calmly waiting girl that looked at him with bright blue eyes. Mihawk was at a loss; couldn't understand, couldn't respond, could only stand there with a blade ready to cut his throat. Shanks withdrew her saber.

'That's why I wanted three rounds. Try not to underestimate me this time.' The smile she wore was genuine, not mocking, not cocky but, to his surprise, a little sad too.

She turned around and Mihawk returned to his starting point, still trying to figure out how she had pulled that stunt.

This time he counted down and to his surprise, and relief, she charged at him as well. This was more the kind of duel he was used to. Shanks was able to match his strength most of the time and whenever she couldn't, she dodged under both blades trying to counter. Only his experience let him saw through that maneuver and she smirked more than once whenever he showed his true skill.

'I'm glad you took the three tries.'

Mihawk was unable to answer; he was focusing on slashing, blocking and dodging. How could she talk while doing all that? Women...

'Too bad we will only have two.'

Mihawk's eyes grew wide at that. A second later she was already running straight at him, her face serious. He would never admit it to her, but that sight had frightened him. Maybe she really would kill him. By now he had admitted to himself that she probably was the better swordsman. She was almost equally strong, more versatile in her attacks and much faster.

While he just stood there waiting for what was to come she had already defeated him. Blocking his ongoing attacks she had gotten within inches of him which had him rendered unable to block her anymore. So all it took then was for her to step to the side, swirl around him and put her sword to his throat once more.

'Your fear defeated you this time. You saw who I was traveling with last night, pick me up tonight at nine.'

'Isn't that past your bed time?'

That had the desired effect. She stormed back towards him only to see his smirk get even bigger. Oh he had gotten her good this time. That feeling of accomplishment wore off quickly when she joined his laughter. She turned away from him again. 'See you at nine, slowpoke.'

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><p>Mihawk was back in the harbor at around nine. He spotted the ship soon. It wasn't very hard to miss with all the crew looming over the railing eying him suspiciously. He recognized the captain was no one less then the pirate king himself. When the man turned his head Mihawk followed his gaze only to find Shanks at the receiving end of it.<p>

She walked up to her captain exchanging a few words Mihawk couldn't understand. Gol D. Roger shot a single intense glare at him and Mihawk got the hint. He wouldn't try anything; he had bigger plans for her.

Meanwhile some men were pointing out the pretty dress she was wearing and the fact that she had actually made some effort with her hair, while a kid her age had to deny his jealousy over and over again. Rolling her eyes at them she walked down to greet Mihawk ignoring the ongoing shouts of her crewmen and the glare of a blue haired boy.

'I hope you can hold out longer than yesterday.' Her grin was wide and not to a small amount mocking. Mihawk decided not to take any more humiliation from that girl tonight.

'Was that big nosed one your boyfriend? Or why was he glaring daggers at me?'

'Huh? Buggy? No way in hell... Why do people keep thinking this...?' She asked no one in particular.

'Well he tried to kill your date with his not very impressive gaze...'

'DATE?!' Shanks laughed nervously. 'Hehe... This is not a date, right? We are going drinking...at a pub...until the first one drops. Or both.' She added after some thought.

'Not a date, huh? Then why are you wearing such a pretty dress?' Mihawk was set on being the one to tease not the other way around. To his glee Shanks lowered her head to hide a blush.

'I'm a girl, I wear dresses! It's what girls do... I wore a skirt earlier today too, remember?'

'And you let your charm run wild back then too.'

'Huh? Can you talk normally for once?'

Mihawk was annoyed by now. Was she playing dumb or was she seriously unaware of the messages she sent? 'Ok, I'll be blunt then. The whole day you've been flirting with me! Was that clear enough?'

'Aren't you full of yourself, I was not hitting on you! Well I was with my sword, but nothing more! So now drop it...'

'You wanted me to be honest, so I was. How can that be wrong again? Women... But to return to your first question, that, tonight, is no date, at least not for me. But to be fair to most people it seems like one. But I want to fight you again and again. I trained all my life to be the best swordsman in the world and it has been years that someone bested me. I will seek you out again when I have gotten better and I will beat you then.' Mihawk had talked with the rare sight of passion.

'Huh?' Shanks was slightly overwhelmed with this unexpected display of emotion and the drive of her opponent. 'I don't try to be the best... You can have that title.'

Mihawk stopped in his tracks and glared down at her. She really was just a girl. With no ambition at that. 'It doesn't matter if you want it or not. I want it, yet you are better than me. Therefore, from this day onward, you are my rival.'

'So we'll see each other again then? I'd like that.' She smiled brightly at him an Mihawk gave up on trying to convey the message she refused to get.

They walked the remaining distance in silence, both in thought. The pub was decently full at this early in the night but they managed to find a small table for themselves. Mihawk couldn't help but notice the glances he was enticing, mostly, yet not exclusivey, from women. He snorted in annoyance.

'That bad?'

He was pulled back from his thoughts. 'Excuse me?' He had forgotten Shanks was there too.

'Your wine? Is it that bad?'

'Not the wine, the company...'

Shanks looked at him with a blank expression. 'Suit yourself then...' Shanks rose and left him sitting there. Instead she hooked up with some guys at the bar.

Mihawk was puzzled, had he said something wrong? He replayed the conversation in his head and...oh...yeah... He really was an idiot at times. He walked up to her.

'Shanks, I'm sorry, I wasn't talking about you but-'

'So your name is Shanks, huh? Pretty cute.' A blond guy she had previously talked had the nerve to interrupt him.

'Step back boy, she is twice the man you are. Shanks...' Oh good, this time she actually turned to face him. 'The staring and leering... I was talking about some of the other girls here.'

Shanks looked around and yes, now she noticed them as well. She turned back at him with a sly grin. 'You want me to feed you to the beasts?' Instead she took his hand and walked back to their table.

'To make up for your bad manners you will have sake with me and not your fancy wine.'

When Mihawk didn't reject she was back to her cheerful self. 'Great!' She emptied his glass and waved for the waiter ordering a few bottles for them.

'Please tell me you expect company?' Mihawk was eying the amount of booze and was concerned about how the remaining night would fare.

'Huh? No, it's just the two of us. Or do you want me to get some of those pretty pretty girls over for you?'

Mihawk, instead of even trying to come up with a response, just took a generous gulp of sake. Shanks followed suit, grinning at his scowl.

'Tell the truth, you are not old enough to have this stuff, are you?'

Before answering Shanks took another mouthful. 'Maybe I am, who knows really...'

Mihawk looked at her, puzzled. 'What do you mean "who knows?"? Don't you?'

Her grin shifted slightly. 'Nope.'

He decided not to ask any further. If she wanted to elaborate how one could not know their own age then she would. And indeed she picked up the topic after a few minutes of silence. He guessed she couldn't stay quiet for long.

'When Captain found me they just guessed I was four years old. So who knows how far off they were. You met them. Apart from Master Rayleigh they probably couldn't tell the difference from a ten and two year old even if their life depended on it.' She smiled fondly thinking of them.

Mihawks voice brought her back to the present. 'So by their expertise how old would that make you now?'

Shanks grinned. '14.'

'Nowhere near old enough to have this kind of beverage.'

'Nope.' Her grin got bigger and she took another gulp.

Mihawk tried to imagine what it would be like to live with this kind of uncertainty. It was just comforting to put a number with your achievements, your goals and your life. 'That must be hard on you.'

She looked at him soberly, then she smiled. 'It really isn't. We always celebrated the years I spend with them, so it wouldn't matter. This year since it was the 10th year they had a princess party and I was the only prince. You should have seen them... Captain had even gotten wigs. With the unshaved beards...it was just so funny, I wish you could have seen it.' She laughed just remembering. 'Buggy was the ugliest princess ever...'

Mihawk smirked. He really couldn't imagine the pirate king in a dress.

'So what about you? You look so old.' Mihawk tried hard not to jump her throat sword first.

'It's called grown up, kitten. 18, at least I am legally allowed to have any of this.'

'Who cares about 'legally'? We are pirates! Free, neither tied down anywhere nor bound by any law. This is why we chose this path, isn't it? Because we are stubborn and proud! We won't accept the restrictions forced upon us!'

Mihawk couldn't help but be overall impressed by this girl.

She had defeated him easily in a fair fight for once, well actually three times. But she had also spirit and more ambition than it had seemed at first. And it had only seemed this way because her ambitions lay in other places than his own. And she had changed his mind about swordswomen.

He smiled before he raised his glass.

'Here's to our first day as rivals and training partners. Here's to the first day of many to come.'


End file.
